Marcus Aurelius

THE MEDITATIONS. Translated, Annotated Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (26 April 121 - 17 March 180 AD) was Roman Emperor from 161 to 180, the last of the so-called Five Good Emperors. He was a practitioner of Stoicism, and his untitled writing, commonly known as the Meditations, is the most significant source of the modern understanding of ancient Stoic philosophy. There is no doubt that the Emperor's Reflections - or his Meditations, as they are generally named - are a genuine work. In the first book he speaks of himself, his family, and his teachers; and in other books he mentions himself. It was the doctrine of Marcus Aurelius that most of the ills of life come to us from our own imagination, that it was not in the power of others seriously to interfere with the calm, temperate life of an individual, and that when a fellow being did anything to us that seemed unjust he was acting in ignorance, and that instead of stirring up anger within us it should stir our pity for him. Oftentimes by careful self-examination we should find that the fault was more our own than that of our fellow, and our sufferings were rather from our own opinions than from anything real. The circle of man's knowledge is very limited, and the largest circles do not wholly include the smallest. They are intersecting and the segment common to any two is very small. Whatever lies outside this space does not exist for both. Hence arise innumerable contests. The man having the largest intelligence ought to be very generous to the other. Being thankful that he has been blessed in so many ways, he should do all in his power to enlighten his less favored fellow, rather than be angry with him on account of his misfortune. This edition of The Meditations includes: -Translation by Jeremy Collier. -Introduction and Notes by Alice Zimmern.